Sub 1:40 Half Thread

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monsenb1 Sep 2013 10:56am, 16 Sep 2013 1,093 posts	0 monsenb1 Finally did it at GNR yesterday! Scraped in with 1.39.51..
Nellers Sep 2013 10:57am, 16 Sep 2013 26,131 posts	0 Nellers Nice result. Well done, and doubly so in those crowds.
tipsku Sep 2013 4:38pm, 19 Sep 2013 120 posts	0 tipsku Hi everyone. I'm new to this thread after getting a new PB of 1:43:20 in Lake Vyrnwy. Well done monsenb1, that's a cracking PB in the GNR, considering course congestion. I'll have to work hard to get there some day. The aim is to beat 1.40 next spring when the marathon lark is over. So good luck to everyone aiming for a double digit marathon time - I like it when they put 99 min in the results, somehow it looks faster than 1:39.
monsenb1 Sep 2013 10:45am, 20 Sep 2013 1,097 posts	0 monsenb1 Thanks Nellers/tipsku. The great north run is a strange old race, my splits were: 7:24 7:40 7:36 7:48 7:48 7:32 7:16 7:24 7:44 7:32 7:48 7:40 7:28 1:12 I was quite pleased they were fairly consistent, and I was never really gunning it at any time. However I did have a few breathers, including a nice chat with becca7 at about 5 miles, who actually convinced me to go for it and mile 13 didn't feel pretty. As for the crowds, it wasn't too bad (started in Pen C), and instead of forcing my way in between gaps I tended to wait until they got big enough to run through, it meant a little more recovery, and less stress.. Good luck tipsku, I hope you do it by next Spring!
Funky Chicken Sep 2013 7:11pm, 23 Sep 2013 187 posts	0 Funky Chicken Congrats monsenb1, and welcome tipsku. I ran my first marathon yesterday after a summer of long runs building up to it and am hoping that the experience has made me a lot stronger in body and mind. Once I've recovered from it, I plan to focus a bit more on speed-work and have a couple of flattish half marathons coming up in November. I've managed just under 1:40 twice this year - last time, fairly even pacing of just under 7:30/m for the first 8 miles and then it fell apart, so I'd like to keep that pace going for the whole race next time around and aim to take another minute or two off. Time will tell!
Naomi P Sep 2013 10:12am, 24 Sep 2013 11,305 posts	0 Naomi P Great to see you run your first marathon and in such a brilliant time too Funky Chicken Sure you can improve your 1/2 PB too, the marathon endurance will definitely help for a start.
Fitz Sep 2013 2:05pm, 24 Sep 2013 524 posts	0 Fitz I clocked a 1:42 PB at Royal Parks last year and was just starting to contemplate trying to get under 1:40 when I run it again next month. Until... I found out RPHM is the same day that Glasto 2014 tickets go on sale, so I will be running whilst constantly pressing redial on my mobile! Not much chance of a PB there then. Maybe I'll use it to practise my marathon pacing instead.
Funky Chicken Sep 2013 2:15pm, 24 Sep 2013 188 posts	0 Funky Chicken Thanks Naomi - looking forward to seeing what I can do next spring on a flatter course without several miles of trail section! My leg that's grumbled the whole time in training is fine - it seems to be the other one's turn to complain now... Fitz - is there no-one you can delegate your ticket buying to?! Or see if the race organisers can delay the start
Fitz Sep 2013 2:21pm, 24 Sep 2013 526 posts	0 Fitz I've asked for a delayed start. They said, "sure - start whenever you like, but everyone else will be off at 9."
Canute Sep 2013 9:46pm, 26 Sep 2013 787 posts	0 Canute FC, Its good to catch up with news of your running. Great to hear that you went under 1:40 twice this year. As Naomi says, you can almost certainly take a few minutes off that, especially with the added endurance from the marathon training. I decided to make a fairly serious attempt at 1:40 this year – it won’t get any easier as the years roll by. Despite a few months disruption due to arthritis early in the year, I have managed to train consistently for the past 6 months. I will be doing the Robin Hood half on Sunday. Unfortunately, my paces in training suggest I am quite a long way short of fit enough for a 1:40. Recent tempo paces suggest something around 1:45, but I will try to push things along a bit and hope to do a bit better than that.